Minority Council Members Say Leppert "Mischaracterized" Their Support of Love Field Concession Contracts Delay in Campaign E-Mail

The seven who claim the mayor needs to be clear when talking about their stance on the Love Field concession contracts (from left to right): Delia Jasso, Dwaine Caraway, Pauline Medrano, Carolyn Davis, Tennell Atkins, Vonciel Hill and Steve Salazar

On Monday, we told you about an e-mail we received from Mayor Tom Leppert's campaign thanking his city council mates for agreeing to defer the vote on two concession contracts at Dallas Love Field Airport so city staff could cook up some new options to consider at the council's August 4 briefing. Then, finally, a vote on those options would take place at the August 11 agenda meeting.

"I also want to thank all my colleagues for agreeing to step back together and be open to considering additional choices encompassing a competitive bid," Leppert wrote, emphasizing that the entire council was on board with these new ideas.

At the time, we wondered if perhaps Leppert hadn't heard about the press conference held the day before the scheduled June 23 vote, where the seven minority council members blasted the mayor and endorsed the contracts on the table.

Well, those same council members just sent Leppert a memo to make sure he doesn't make the same mistake twice.

"We did not support your deferment of the contracts extension in order for staff to explore more options," the group wrote in a missive to the mayor today, which was copied to several other city officials. "We have read with concern and disappointment your email to supporters on Monday, June 28, 2010 where you have mischaracterized our support of the deferral on the concessions contracts issue."

As we noted on Monday, the group is firm in its support of the current contract proposals, and they told Leppert as much, along with explaining that they only supported a delay so that Angela Hunt could "obtain more information before deciding her vote on the issue."